The Wolven Maw
by Discarab
Summary: After the battle with the Wild Hunt the Church of the Eternal Fire makes a comeback! Now a fugitive of the state Geralt tries to escape to the Skellige Isles; however, he runs into some complications and ends up in a world unknown to him. How will the White Wolf affect Fiore? Only time can tell... Set: Witcher- After the defeat of the Wild Hunt. FT- At the beginning of GMG arc.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello my readers and welcome to my new story! If you are a follower of one of my other stories I promise those will come out on schedule, but until then I wanted to get started on a story that I have been thinking up for quite a while! If you clicked on this link you know full well what that means. So here we go! For those of you who haven't played the Witcher games or just read the books, or if you're a bit of a mix of the two, I've tried to make this story accessible to anyone. Now then lets get on with it!  
**

 **P.S. This starts up in an alternate period after the wild hunt is defeated. In FT terms this story starts right after the Tenrou Island Time Skip.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own The Witcher or Fairy Tail, you know the drill.**

* * *

 **Chapter One: A Soggy Arrival**

Geralt watched as the sun began to peak its head over the horizon. A musty grey light poured through the dark clouds and onto the deck of the rotted ship, as the sea breeze blew through his white hair. Far off in the distance he could hear lightning crash down into the ocean, the sky was briefly illuminated by its pale-blue hue, before fading back to the dull shade of the sea. Dull, that word described his situation perfectly. Everything was motionless, the water, the ship, the wind, even the sailors had yet to rouse from their slumber. And as he sat there Geralt began to wonder why he had decided to go on this voyage in the first place. The weather was awful and the trip was long, but he had his reasons. Those reasons being two certain women in his life: Yennefer, his lover for what seemed like a millennia, and his adoptive daughter Ciri, carrier of the elder blood. All three of them thought that their times of hardship would be over after they dealt with the Wild Hunt; but that hope had been dashed after the Church of the Eternal Fire made its resurgence. After the war with Nilfgaard came to a close, the problem Geralt thought he had solved in Novigrad exploded into a country wide witch hunt. Burning stakes became more common than trees, and it didn't take the fanatics long before they turned on witchers as well.

Vesemir, Eskel and Lambert had already fled to Kovir long before the soldiers found their way to Kaedwen; luckily, they remembered to cover their tracks. In fact he had recently received a letter from Vesemir joking about how the church's soldiers had yet to find Kaer Morhen. The old witcher also mentioned that they had managed to regroup with Yennefer and Ciri without a hitch. Geralt smiled when he read that Ciri was looking forward to becoming a fully fledged witcher, not even a war could dampen her spirits; sadly, he wouldn't be around to see her transformation. For he wasn't sailing to Kovir, he was sailing north to the furthest reaches of the Skellige Isles. It was a small, scarcely inhabited place devoid of almost any life besides the occasional fishing village. That was where he was planning to find refuge. Yennefer and Ciri did not approve of this decision, but he knew it was the right choice. He would play the role of the decoy and draw away attention from them and the other witchers, guaranteeing their safe passage to Kovir. _I wonder when I'll get to see those two again._ Geralt thought to himself as he stared up at the stormy skies above. He'd definitely be living in the isles for a while. A few years at the least. Fanatics had a knack for holding grudges after all. And until he knew for a fact that they had given up on his scent, he would remain in the isles. _The things we do for those we love._ He sighed.

But he knew he didn't have to worry. Yennefer and Ciri could take care of themselves. And honestly he wouldn't be missing much. Witchers and sorceresses like Yennefer couldn't die of old age, and Geralt knew both of them were skilled in battle, so he wouldn't have to worry about them perishing in combat. _Still... it'll be weird seeing Ciri with cat eyes._ He thought as he hopped out of the crow's nest. The crew of the ship were finally starting to exit the hold, it wouldn't be long now before the ship was back in motion. Geralt pushed Yennefer and Ciri to the back of his mind as walked past the still-drowsy crew; he needed to focus on his own problems now.

"Oh Master Witcher!" One of the crewmen yelled as he ran up to Geralt. The man was quite large, and looked to be around his mid-thirties. Careful as he could be the man lifted up the precious cargo he was carrying. Said cargo was Geralt's two witcher blades and crossbow. "The armory hold flooded last night, felt like these swords would be under better care in your hands." Geralt nodded and took his weapons.

"Thank you." Geralt said as he slipped the harness over his shoulder. The metal blades made a clinking noise when they bounced off against his armor; in a way it was soothing, in situations like this he always felt better with his weapons close by. The crewman who returned his arms had already disappeared back into the bowels of the ship. _Wonder what caused the flooding?_ He thought as he turned his attention to the north. The storm had gotten worse, clouds were swirling in the skies above, and the strengthened winds now shot ice-cold mist deep into his armor. Not wanting to freeze to death Geralt reached into one of his bags and pulled out his black cloak. The black garment writhed and tossed about in the frigid wind as the ship drew ever closer to the storm. _This doesn't feel right._ Geralt thought as his eyes narrowed. Chalk it up to a witcher's six sense, but something about that storm didn't sit well with him. It was how the clouds seemed to swirl about in an oddly circular way. It just didn't look natural. In fact the cloud pattern looked more like one of Yennefer's teleportation spells than any storm he had ever seen.

"That storm does not look kind." The captain said as he turned the wheel of the ship. Luckily he was a smart man. "It looks like we'll be a bit late lads. Skellige will have to wait." Geralt felt the ship rumble as it turned sharply away from the storm; however, right before they were completely turned, the ship suddenly stopped. "What the devil?" The captain cursed as he pushed and pulled on the wheel to no avail. Once again it felt like everything was still, quiet, motionless. The crew and the captain held their collective breath as they waited for the stillness to be broken. And then Geralt's medallion began to rumble. Reflex guided his hand to his silver sword as he braced himself for battle. Moments later the ship began to shake, and a muffled roar exploded from the ocean. Geralt watched as a multitude of slimy tentacles slithered out of the grey waves and gritted his teeth, this one wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Kraken! Its a kraken!" One of the sailors yelled as he rushed to find his sword, but the man was too slow. He didn't even have the time to scream before a slimy tentacle grabbed hold and dragged him beneath the waves. A few of the gigantic appendages came Geralt's way as well; however, they were quick to back off once he began roasting them with igni. The rest of the crew, the captain included, were not so lucky. Those who were not grabbed by the kraken's tentacles fled below deck, but that would not save them. For despite Geralt's best efforts, he couldn't keep the kraken from wrapping itself around the ship's hull. All it took was a slight tug and the ship split in half, sending those who had fled below deck straight into the monster's gigantic beak.

 _There!_ Geralt thought as he leaped down towards the kraken's exposed jaw. His silver blade effortlessly ate into the exposed flesh of the creature. With a sharp twist he dragged a piece of the beast's monstrous tongue from its beak, sending the kraken into a pain-fueled frenzy. Gigantic tentacles waved sporadically through the air as the wounded kraken writhed in agony. Its sporadic bashing tore what was left of the ship to pieces; and with no solid ground left to stand on Geralt was forced to dive into the now-churning ocean. Blood from the kraken's recent kills dyed the water red sending his enhanced witcher senses into a frenzy. Luckily, he didn't need them, for Geralt had found what he was looking for. Deep beneath the waves floated the kraken's main torso; the gigantic red mass of muscle and mucus was covered in sea cucumbers and parasites, but even from underneath all of that filth Geralt could see them. The eyes of the kraken. Each one was as large as a small cottage, and there were around thirteen in total.

It might have been decades since he last fought a kraken, but he still remembered their weakness. With a click he pulled a small bomb off of his tool belt and tossed it at the beast's eyes. Before the monster could blink the bomb entrenched itself into one of the kraken's many tear duct _s_ ; Geralt grunted and began to swim away. The kraken, now recovered from its fit of pain, turned its sights back on him. But it was too late, the monster's fate was sealed. And before its tentacles could reach Geralt's waist the bomb exploded, taking half of the kraken's body with it.

It would have been a flawless kill if it wasn't for the fact that he was swimming through a frigid ocean. In the hastiness of his attack the White Wolf failed to adjust the bomb's timer properly. And as a result he was caught in the explosion's blast wave. _Ah shit._ Geralt thought as he felt the pressure tear through his body, normally this wouldn't be a problem; but he was underwater. Combined with the lack of oxygen the pressure wave's affects were amplified, and Geralt felt every bit of it. When he finally did resurface his vision was already starting to give out; he felt delirious, and his body was wracked with fatigue. _Crap... of all the places to get a concussion._ He thought as he rubbed his head, at this point he was nearly unconscious. With his last ounce of strength he swam to a nearby pile of floating wood and crawled up onto its splintery surface. Sadly, the Butcher of Blavakin wasn't out of the woods yet; for when he looked up he found that the storm that was once far off was now floating right above him. The last thing Geralt saw before losing consciousness was that strange swirl of clouds. And as everything went black he could feel himself being pulled up into the air by some mysterious force...

* * *

Geralt's nose twitched as he felt the warm light of the sun beam down on his soaked face. "Damn..." Geralt mumbled as he clutched his throbbing head. His headache only got worse when he opened his eyes. The unbelievably bright sunlight blinded him for a few minutes before his eyes finally started to focus. _Must've washed ashore on some island._ Geralt thought as he took in his surroundings. He was on a beach near the edge of a forest. The sand was soft and fine, and there was no storm to be seen. _This sure doesn't look like Skellige._ He thought as he got up and dusted himself off. Amazingly his black cloak had come out mostly unscathed from his battle with the kraken; in fact, everything he had was still in working condition, so luck hadn't completely abandoned him then. With a quick cast of igni Geralt dried all of his dampened materials and fastened them onto his belt.

 _This place smells strange._ Geralt thought as he walked through the forest. The vegetation and greenery was unlike anything he had seen before. Trees towered into the heavens while large plants feasted upon small rodents. But odd vegetation wasn't the only thing that was different. This forest, nay, the world smelled foreign. He couldn't find one whiff of something familiar. Where in the world did he wash up? No amount of searching revealed to him the answer. The morning sun hung overhead when Geralt decided to sit down and meditate. He listened to the strange sounds of the odd forest creatures, the buzz of the foreign insects, and the crackle of his fire. It wasn't until hours later, when the sky began to turn orange, that the infamous witcher finally managed to sense something different.

"Help me!" Geralt's eyes darted towards the source of the scream. It was high in pitch and sounded feminine, a child, probably no more than twelve years old. As quick as a tiger Geralt stealthily ran through the woods until he arrived at a small clearing. In the center of said clearing was a young child; and towering over her was what appeared to be a giant green ape with a single horn adorning its head. It was a creature that Geralt had never seen before. The girl cowered and crawled up to the side of a large tree as the creature drew closer.

"Hehe~" the creature snorted. "Little girl~" it said as it reached for the child. The girl screamed which gave him a perfect opportunity to sneak up on the beast. Before the ape-like creature could realize what was happening Geralt had opened its stomach and throat. The beast staggered for a bit in shock before falling down dead.

"I heard your call little one." Geralt said as he offered a hand to the girl. The child nodded and took hold. It was then that Geralt felt his medallion begin to rumble; and he didn't have to guess why. For clutched in the child's hand was a long and slender branch embroidered with beautiful carvings. It was a wand.

"T-thank you mister. I came out here to practice my magic, but then that vulcan appeared." The girl said as she tried to straighten her messy chestnut hair. Geralt nodded as he stared at the wand. It was actually kind of cute for a child her age to be interested in the arcane arts, but given current events...

"Do your parents know that you practice magic?" He asked her as they walked through the field. The girl nodded and twirled her wand around in her hand. Geralt frowned, with the witch hunt going on this girl must have some pretty laid back parents. "Where did you get that wand?" He asked her.

"From my mom! She's a member of a famous wizard guild! When I grow up I'm going to join her!" The girl said as she skipped through the tall grass.

 _Wizard guilds? Are they like the lodge? But for someone so young to be interested in joining the lodge is..._

"May! Are you all right?!" Geralt's thoughts were cut off short when a man, in his early thirties by the looks, jogged up to them. He was carrying a small steel dagger, and had chestnut hair. He must be the girl's father. "I heard screaming and came running."

"Papa!" The girl, May was her name if Geralt heard correctly, ran up and hugged the man. "I was practicing my magic when one of those nasty vulcans attacked me. This man saved me." May pointed to him. The father was a bit surprised when he saw Geralt's eyes, but that cleared quickly.

"Sir I cannot thank you enough for what you've done! My name's Robin, and you've already met my daughter May." The father, Robin, said as he shook Geralt's hand.

"Name's Geralt of Rivia, and the pleasure's all mine Mr. Robin." Geralt said, contrary to most people's beliefs he actually could be polite when he wanted to.

"If there's anything I can do to help you just say." Robin started. Geralt didn't even get the chance to speak before the man snapped his fingers and placed a hand on one of his shoulders. "I know! We're just about to have dinner, why don't you come and join us?"

"I don't wish to intrude." Geralt said, but that wasn't enough to dissuade the man.

"Oh phooey! You're eating with us if you like it or not! And you will like it, trust me my wife's an amazing cook." Geralt could tell that the man wouldn't take no for an answer. Soon he found himself following the pair through the woods towards a small village. The smoke rising from the chimneys smelt of hickory. Yet another jarring reminder that he wasn't where he was supposed to be. Back in Velen, Nilfgaard and Redania smoke carried only one scent: the overpowering stench of burned flesh.

* * *

 **Thirty Minutes Later...**

Robin's house was small, but it was far from uncomfortable. Much to Geralt's surprise the floors were carpeted and fully paneled. The furniture was quite lavish as well. Maybe the man was a moderately wealthy merchant? As Geralt scanned over the room he noticed something hanging on the wall; it was a map, and upon closer inspection he found that the map was completely foreign to him as well. None of the countries on the parchment were of those he knew. Skellige, the Nilfgaardian Empire and Kovir were all missing. _The Kingdom of Fiore? The Kingdom of Bosco? What kind of map is this?_

"Something on my map interest you?" Robin asked him as he walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate stacked with meat and vegetables. Geralt nodded and thanked the man as the two sat down to eat. Nothing Geralt tasted was familiar, it was good, but all of it was different.

"Your map is missing some countries." Geralt pointed to the map with his knife. "Where's Skellige? Or the Nilfgaardian Empire?" He asked Robin, but all he got as a response was a cocked eyebrow.

"Are those small countries down south?" He asked him as he munched on a roll. For simplicity's sake Geralt nodded. After a few more moments of thinking Robin smiled and clapped his hands together. "Well the only empire I know of is the Alvarez Empire to the east. That must be the country you're referring to." Geralt nodded. Robin obviously didn't recognize the countries he was asking about; but there was no way he'd correct the man given his current situation. And so the Butcher of Blavakin stayed silent, and sipped at his soup.

"Is something the matter?" Geralt asked Robin when he caught the man staring at his two blades.

"Oh no its nothing!" He said as his attention turned to Geralt's eyes.

 _Here we go._ Geralt thought. His witcher eyes always came up eventually in situations like this. Honestly it amazed him that Robin waited this long to grow curious.

"Are you a mage from a guild? Perhaps Quatro Cerberus?" Robin asked, again all Geralt could give him as an answer was a cocked eyebrow.

"Guilds?" Geralt started as he lifted up a mug of ale to his lips. "Are you talking about an organization similar to the Lodge of Sorceresses?" He said as he downed his alcoholic beverage. Robin, however, didn't touch his mug. The man just stared at him with bewildered eyes; almost as if he was staring at some creature.

"Do you not know what mage guilds are?" Robin asked him with wide eyes. Geralt nodded. Immediately after that Robin sprung up from his chair and pointed at Geralt. "Ah, I get it now." He said as he placed a hand on Geralt's shoulder. "You must be an immigrant. When did you arrive in Fiore?" He asked him. Geralt had no idea what was going through the man's head, but he decided to play along.

"What gave me away?" Geralt asked. Robin just smiled and tapped his forehead.

"Chalk it up to my intuition." He said with a smile as he dragged his chair closer to Geralt. "Think about it, you come here calling countries by different names; and you don't know what mage guilds are, a staple of Fioren culture, the only logical conclusion is that you're a foreigner."

 _You're on the right track._ Geralt thought as he leaned back into his chair.

"What port did you arrive in? Was it Hargeon? Or maybe Magnolia?" Geralt shook his head.

"Neither. The ship I was on got caught in a nasty storm and we were forced to dock early." Robin nodded and pulled the map Geralt was looking at down from the wall.

"Hmmm... the only ports near here are in Magnolia, but that's over a day's ride from here." He looked up at Geralt with his face wracked with pity. "That must've been one hell of a storm." Geralt stayed silent, he shouldn't say more than was necessary. "Given how well armed you are I assume you must've been headed for Twilight Ogre, that's Magnolia's town guild; or perhaps the Magic Council's army base?" Robin thought out loud as he placed a hand over his chin.

"Actually I was supposed to meet up with a friend. He promised to inform me about the comings and goings of this country when I got here." Geralt said as his cat-like eyes scoured over the map, remembering every last detail.

"Were you two planning on joining a guild? That would explain why you're so heavily armed." Robin said as his eyes darted to the blades that hung on Geralt's back.

"I guess you could say that. But I'm kind of at a standstill until I learn how this country works." Geralt said as he scratched the back of his neck. Again Robin smiled and patted the witcher on the back.

"Your words wound me Geralt, you forgot that you have a friend right here. I wouldn't mind giving you a little crash course in Fioren history; although I can't promise you that I'll be as detailed as your friend." Robin said as he grabbed some heavy books from a nearby counter. "You might want to find yourself a more comfortable chair though; cause this will take awhile..."

* * *

By the time Robin had finished his lecture night had fallen. May was already fast asleep and the entire village was quiet. It was around this time that Geralt decided to take his leave. Robin begged him to stay the night, but Geralt insisted that he had to go. The young father made sure that he didn't leave empty handed though. And offered the witcher one of his finest horses to take with him on his journey. The clip-clopping sound of hooves pierced the silent night as Geralt made his way down the main road. He rode in peaceful silence, but on the inside the White Wolf was far from any sense of tranquility. After hearing Robin's spiel about history Geralt knew, he knew that his worst fears had been realized. He hadn't washed up on some god-forsaken beach in the middle of Skellige; somehow, he ended up on the shore of an entirely different world. A world that he had no way out of. _What do I do?_ That was the question that plagued Geralt's mind. He was stuck, and with no way to contact Yennefer or the other witchers, he was truly stranded.

Geralt sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Now was not the time to be worrying about them. As much as he hated it, he'd need to focus on himself for now. At the very least he could take solace in the fact that Yennefer and Ciri would be safe. For even though he was trapped in this strange new world; he knew that the Church of the Eternal Fire would not abandon their search for him. After all, he was their prime target, and until they caught him Yennefer, Ciri, Vesemir and the other witchers would be safe from the church's hunting parties. His goal at the moment should be establishing a steady source of revenue. Witchers couldn't die from old age, but that didn't mean he could neglect his basic needs. The issue he had was where to begin. There were no witchers in this world, and that meant no hunting contracts _. Will I have to join a guild?_ Geralt placed a gloved hand over his face. He never was one for organizations like guilds. For someone like him, the less comrades he had the better. However, if what Robin told him was right, then he'd have to join a guild of some sort. Privately acting monster hunters like witchers just weren't a thing here; the mage guilds had a monopoly when it came to hunting jobs like that. _  
_

But there was another problem. According to Robin monsters weren't a huge issue in Fiore. Most jobs given to mage guilds usually had to do with fighting other mages. And when a monster hunting job did turn up they were usually buried underneath a surplus of newer requests. Which meant that he'd have to branch out... Geralt sighed and looked up at the full moon which hung overhead. The stars twinkled beautifully in the pitch-black blanket that was the night sky. _What do I do?_ Geralt thought as his horse, which he fittingly named Roach, trotted up to a nearby crossroads sign. It only had one arrow, and it was pointing to the east.

 **Magnolia, 30 Leagues.**

Geralt stopped and stared at that signpost for a few moments. _Magnolia? If I'm not mistaken Robin mentioned a guild was housed there. What was its name again? Twilight Ogre?_ Without a moments hesitation the White Wolf turned Roach due east and began his journey towards the infamous port city. Hopefully this guild wouldn't disappoint.

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 **Author's Note  
**

 **Well that's the first chapter done in, what I hope to be, a very long story! I hope you all enjoyed it and would drop me a review, so I know to continue it. Anyways since this is a new story the next chapter will be out sometime this week. If you haven't read one of my other stories though. This is the schedule:**

 **1st week of the month: Wandering Shadow (Every other month)**

 **2nd week: Beacon's Exorcist**

 **3rd week: The Wolven Maw.**

 **But again that's most months. For the beginning of this month I'm focusing on this story. As I said hopefully the next chapter will be out sometime this week!**

 **Please don't be afraid to drop a review! No flames pls, my heart can't take it. Anyway R and R and I'll see you on the next chapter of The Wolven Maw!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everybody I am back and on schedule! I hope you enjoy the last chapter(And if you didn't, why are you here?)and its time to head straight back into the maw of the beast! Enough dilly-dallying and lets get back into the second chapter of The Wolven Maw!  
**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own FT or the Witcher series, etc. etc.**

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 **Chapter Two: A Wolf in Orcs Clothing**

Rain pattered down in buckets on the port town of Magnolia. Pools of the liquid lay still upon the roads, and every window was shut tight. Save the occasional thunderclap or lightning bolt; the only sound one could hear was the muted hum of the storm. Geralt, however, could hear clear as day. "Romeo! Get in here or you'll catch a cold!" A man yelled from the patio of a rundown guild building. Geralt couldn't help but steal a peak as he sauntered past atop Roach. Near the entrance of the guildhall was a small, and very run down sign that read:Fairy Tail. A boy was standing just outside of the main door, he looked to be fifteen at the most. Before his father pulled him back inside the boy noticed Geralt and gave him a nod. The brief moment the guild door was open Geralt picked up the sound of quite a few voices. "Gray I'm going to make you eat those words!" yelled one of the voices.

"You never learn, do you Natsu?!" Screamed the other. Geralt sighed, that sounded like a regular old bar fight. One that he'd love to take part in, earn some money, but he wasn't here for that. He was here for Twilight Ogre, Magnolia's town guild.

 _If Robin's directions were correct. The guildhall should be right..._ Geralt looked up from his map and stared down the main road. _There._ The building was much larger than he expected. It was constructed in layers, with the foundation chiseled out of marble. Twilight Ogre was written over the main entrance in stone letters. All in all the building looked professional, if not a little gaudy. Even though everybody was stuck inside because of the rain; Geralt could tell that the guild was heavily populated. It was the little things that tipped him off. The slight indentations in the mud and soil, the erosion of the stone roads, and the stench of the city.

"Are we going to go teach those Fairy Tail bugs a lesson today Thibault?" Geralt heard a man, presumably a mage, ask another as their group walked past Geralt. Embroidered upon their shoulders was some sort of green brand.

 _That must be their guild mark._ He thought as he watched the group of mages pass from under his hood. To be honest Geralt thought the whole 'guild mark' idea was idiotic. For someone like him, any type of identification was something that could be used against him. But if he wanted to join a guild and start making some money; then he'd have to deal with it. When he finally arrived at the guildhall his nose was immediately assaulted by the stench of alcohol. _These mages must love their drink._ Geralt thought as he wrapped his hand around the handle of the large entrance door. With a rather loud creak the White Wolf entered the building. And what he saw was... unusual... to say the least. Junior's casino was the closest thing in memory he could compare Twilight Ogre's guildhall to. Everything was draped in a fine green leather; while the walls were plated with marble.

"Hey Master! Some old fart just walked in!" One of the mage's yelled. Geralt ignored the 'old' comment and kept walking. Eventually he came to the back of the guildhall; where the guild's master, Banaboster, was sat. The man didn't even spare him a glance.

"Who are you?" Banaboster asked him. "If you're here for the property taxes, they're on my desk." When Geralt didn't respond the guild master sighed and looked up at him. "Look if you're here to waste my time then..." Banaboster stopped mid-sentence when he saw the two swords.

"I heard that this is the place for those wishing to join a guild." Geralt said as he pulled up a chair. He had the man's attention now. Banaboster put down the bills he was looking over and leaned back into the couch he was sitting in. The young mage that called him old, and the rest of the members of Twilight Ogre, all looked over at him. Things were about to get interesting.

"You'd be correct but..." Banaboster said as he pulled out a cigarette. "We don't accept just anybody here at Twilight Ogre. You have to show me that you're worth it." The man then pointed his cigarette at one of the mages. "Johan, why don't you do the honors?"

"Yes, thank you master Banaboster." The mage said before turning to Geralt, weapons at the ready. After a brief flash of light a large white bow appeared in his hands. The man then summoned a magical arrow, nocked it, and aimed it at Geralt's head.

"Beat Johan here and I'll think about letting you join us." Banaboster said before turning his attention back to his paperwork. Geralt rolled his eyes and took off his black cloak and swords. He didn't need his weapons, or magic for that matter, to beat this kid.

"He's quite cocky for a man his age. Take him down a peg or two Johan!" Yelled one of the onlooking mages. Geralt just stayed silent and stretched his arms. This would be over quickly.

"Okay, we'll fight on the count of three." The bow-wielding mage said as he pulled his arrow even further back. "One... two... three!" With reflexes as quick as a cheetah Geralt deflected the arrow and rushed towards the poor mage. The boy didn't even get the chance to scream before his gut was filled with the White Wolf's fist. Blood spurted forth from the mage's mouth as he collapsed to the ground; barely hanging onto life. The mage's comrades were quick to react, and hastened to bring their friend to the guild's infirmary. Banaboster and the rest of Twilight Ogre just stood there in silence. It was around this time that they noticed Geralt's eyes glowing from underneath his black hood.

"What magic does that to a person?" One of the sorceresses wondered out loud. Nobody could answer her question. And Geralt wasn't in the mood to give them the time to come up with one.

"Did I pass your test?" He asked Banaboster, who was just staring at him in shock. When the master of Twilight Ogre finally unfroze he leapt into the air. A powerful warrior just walked straight into his guild! If he played his cards right this could mark the beginning of his comeback against Sabertooth!

"Oh, of course you've passed!" Banaboster yelled in glee as he called for his guildhall's maid. "Get out the stamp! Twilight Ogre just got itself a new mage!" Cheers rumbled throughout the guildhall as Geralt found himself a spot to sit. By the time the maid returned with the stamp the mages were in full-on party mode.

"Where would you like your guild mark?" The maid asked him. Geralt stayed silent and rolled up his left sleeve.

"Just above the left bicep." He said, the maid nodded and proceeded to press the stamp onto his exposed flesh. It felt cold. When the process was finally over Geralt got up and turned to Banaboster. "Where's the job board?" He asked the man.

"Well aren't you impatient! Don't you want to greet your guild mates first?" Instead of answering him Geralt just walked up to the leather-bound job board and tore off a few pages. "You want those?!" Banaboster yelled when he saw what jobs Geralt had chosen. They were all monster hunting jobs. All of them exceedingly difficult, and all of them deadly.

"Is that a problem?" Geralt asked him. Banaboster shook his head. Before the master of Twilight Ogre could even begin to get a rebuttal in the White Wolf had left the building. "Roach!" Geralt yelled with an exceptionally loud whistle. His horse was quick to react, and within a matter of seconds he was off to his first job. _My first client is..._ Geralt thought as he flipped through the papers. _The Fioren military huh? Says here that they're having problems with vulcans._ This world's monsters were certainly strange; they definitely gave mages some trouble, but they didn't seem too interested in killing humans. _Are they just not fans of human flesh?_ That was a definite possibility, but it probably had to do with the amount of magic this world had. Monsters required less energy from food, so they hunted and killed less. At least that was his theory. _Huh? What's this?_ Geralt lifted the paper up to his nose and sniffed it. The parchment smelled odd, whoever wrote the request definitely didn't use normal ink. In fact the moldy scent engraved on the paper smelt familiar. Just like... blood. Why was the job request written in blood? However, blood wasn't all he smelled. With a few more sniffs Geralt picked up traces of two other substances. _Its extremely faint, but I can smell salt and rosemary._ What in the world was going on? _  
_

* * *

**Three Hours Later, Northwest Fiore...**

The sprawling streets of Magnolia were now a distant memory in Geralt's mind. Ahead of him was a massive forest, at least forty to fifty miles across, that was crawling with wildlife. The blood-scented job request led him here, to this mysterious place. And even though he had yet to meet anyone from the Fioren military; he could already tell that something was horribly wrong. The scent of long-splattered blood encroached into his nostrils from the forest entrance. And he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched. _Where am I supposed to meet the client?_ He thought as he looked over the parchment. _The northern grassland border?_ Now Geralt knew something was fishy. For the forest he was in had no such border; as bordering the forest to the north was a massive wall of ginormous mountains.

Normally he would assume this was a prank; some harmless wild goose chase. But that wasn't the case. After all, that wouldn't explain why the request was penned in blood. As if on cue the sun began to dip over the canopy of the trees. Causing a wave of shadow to rush over the White Wolf. The crickets in the area began to chirp, and the flies went silent. That was when everything started to get colder. In a matter of minutes the temperature unnaturally dropped well below freezing. On instinct Geralt drew his silver sword and hastily cast Quen. The invisible magical shield acted as a blanket, and helped to ward off the now-freezing chill of the forest's shadow. Geralt's eyes narrowed when he noticed a sheet of thin ice encroach slowly from the entrance of the forest. The icy sheen drew closer and closer; like a beast sneaking up on its prey, before finally reaching the clearing where Geralt was stood. Roach had already scampered off. Which was a good thing, as the animal would have surely frozen to death. _Looks like the white frost._ Geralt thought as he waded through the frozen brush, the iced-greenery cracking and crunching underneath his heavy footsteps.

But he knew this wasn't the white frost. For starters, it wasn't cold enough; secondly, the encroachment was much slower than the flash-freeze of the white frost. Nay, this was something created by man. One proficiently skilled in ice magic. _Where are you little fox?_ Geralt closed his eyes and focused his senses. Immediately he was at one with the environment. The witcher could hear the crunch of flies landing on soft snow, the sweet scent of frozen roses, and the slightest changes in temperature. In this state it didn't take him long to discover his prey. Judging by the smell it was a man, just over twenty five, who hadn't bathed in a while. However, that wasn't all. The Butcher of Blavakin could also detect the subtle breaths of four other mages; each one hiding near the first. _Bodyguards?_ Geralt closed his eyes and focused on the muted scent of the four other mages. _Strawberries and soot... and the light scent of animal marrow._ He opened his eyes, Geralt knew who these five people were. _Assassins maybe? No... dark mages._ He could tell from his position that these five were exceedingly strong mages. And judging by the state of the now-frozen forest; they prepared for his arrival in advance.

Also, it was strange how far away the rouge mages set up camp. Geralt's eyes widened when he realized what the dark mages were preparing for. Robin told him about famous mages called 'slayers'. These mages commanded magic that artificially altered their body to decimate certain creatures. Apparently these slayers, according to Robin, had superhuman senses. And judging by the way the five dark mages were situated; namely far away from him, their apparent target, they must have been preparing for a person with said superhuman senses. It was the little things that tipped Geralt off. The fact that they were downwind, the nearly undetectable scent of modified wolfsbane, which could be used to hide body odors, and the freezing of the forest. For people like slayers who, at their peak, had senses on the level of dragons. Preparations like this would have completely hidden the five dark mages. Honestly, it was a very good plan. They would wait till their target grew tired from the cold, and then ambush them. _That explains why the job request was penned in scented blood._ Geralt thought as he quietly cocked his crossbow. _For whatever reason these five mages needed a slayer; so they tried to lure one in via a tasty-smelling job request._ It was the exact same strategy used when trying to lure a bloodhound into a trap. Granted he had no idea why the dark mages needed such a mage; but he would have plenty of time to ask them once he was finished.

For even though these five were powerful mages; Geralt knew that nobody was immune to sharpened steel. With a muffled click Geralt raised his crossbow up into the air. And once he knew for certain that he was on target. Geralt pulled the trigger.

* * *

"How's our little slayer doing?" One of the dark sorceresses asked her comrade as she stared into their holographic lacrima. Displayed upon the tiny screen was a hooded man. The sorceress smiled, that idiot didn't even know what he walked into.

"Is the cold affecting him much?" The leader of their little band asked. Printed onto his, and the rest of the group's, hand was a simple stamp in the shape of a circle. It was their dark guild mark. The leader shuffled up to her and the other members of the guild and gazed into the lacrima. "Tch... he looks unfazed." The man growled as his feet crunched into the cold earth.

"This weather magic was specifically designed to zap magicians and slayers of their magical strength. How is he still standing?" The sorceress controlling the lacrima wondered out loud. One of their comrades shrugged and crushed a beetle in between his fingers.

"Who knows? Maybe that man isn't a slayer." The sorcerer said, but their leader wasn't having any of it.

"Impossible. The only way for someone to reach that part of the forest is via the blood-scent trail we left. A trail that only slayers can detect." The man said as he returned to his position behind a snow covered bush. "How's our prey doing?" He asked again. One of the sorceresses sighed and returned her vision to the lacrima.

"He's-" the sorceress didn't get the chance to finish before a crossbow bolt bore its way into her head; right between the eyes. Immediately the four other members of their dark guild shot up and activated their magic. None of them expected a surprise attack, after all, they should have been hidden by the wind. The leader of the guild took one second to glance back at the lacrima before another volley of bolts exploded forth from the forest.

"Get down!" He yelled, but it was already too late. One of their members managed to block the majority of the bolts; however, a few managed to get past. Normally this would have been fine; as the bolts only managed to scratch his comrade. But unluckily for him the tips of the bolts must have been lined with poison. And within a matter of seconds his comrade's veins began to turn black, and he collapsed to the ground dead.

"Where are we being attacked from?!" One of the sorceresses yelled as she shot an impressive volley of exploding fireballs into the forest. The sheer destruction caused by said fireballs was enough to give Natsu Dragneel himself a run for his money. However, all of that fancy and flashy magic didn't do anything to protect her. In the blink of an eye the sorceress's head was freed from her shoulders. And standing over corpse was a cloaked figure; they knew who it was, it was the man they were hunting.

"What are you idiots doing?!" The leader yelled to his comrades. "Hurry up and kill him!" His comrades nodded and immediately followed up with a volley of magic arrows. However, none of them managed to hit the man. As they were blocked by some sort of magical barrier. _That doesn't look like slayer magic._ The leader thought as he watched the magical shield shimmer before fading back into obscurity. In fact he'd never seen any magic like that before. There was no magic circles, no familiar buzz that told him that magic was being used, nothing.

"Hey man! I think we should fall back!" Yelled one of the archers, but it was too late. Yet again another one of them fell to the man's blades. Soon the only one left standing was the leader. The rest either had no head, or were filled full of crossbow bolts. The lonesome mage collapsed and tried to escape back into the forest; however, he found that he could not move.

"What?!" He screamed as he looked down to find a strange purple aura snagging at his feet. No matter how hard he pulled he could not escape. Every so often his eyes would dart back to the bag resting upon his belt. He could not afford to be stopped now, not when he was so close. But life was cruel.

"Does the contents of that bag really mean so much to you?" The leader of the dark guild turned to find the hooded man wander out of the brush. His steel blade still dripping with the fresh blood of his comrades. "Judging by your looks I doubt you're a warrior. An alchemist perhaps?" Instead of answering him the dark mage just tightened his grip around the bag. The hooded man then sighed and lifted up his crossbow. Since the leader's legs were bound he could not avoid the iron bolt. The metal tore through his left shoulder, causing it, and his precious bag to fall onto the frozen forest floor.

"Gah!" He screamed in pain as he crashed against the trunk of a nearby tree. His body was now completely enveloped in the purple aura, and his entire body felt immobile. The hooded man then proceeded to walk up to his disembodied arm and scooped up his bag. After a few moments of rummaging through the bag's contents, the man stopped. What he found was surprising...

* * *

 _A potion?_ Geralt wondered as he held the small glass vial up towards the sun. Sloshing inside of the glass container was a strange dark liquid. He then scanned over some of the documents that accompanied the potion, and his eyes went wide. _This looks like... a mutagen._ Granted, plenty of things were different from the ones he was familiar with; however, a multitude of aspects were definitely similar. He even recognized a few of the ingredients. _Wolfsbane, a tablespoon of lye, a dash of sulfur, and..._ He cocked an eyebrow. _Dragons blood?_ "What do you need dragons blood for?" He asked the dying leader of the dark guild. But the man stayed silent. _Doesn't want to talk eh?_ _A quick casting of Axii should solve that._ "You're going to bleed out soon anyway. So tell me, what's with the potion? Why do you need dragons blood?" Geralt asked the man as he cast the glyph. The dark mage twitched in pani and confusion for a few moments, before finally falling under his spell.

"We wanted a way to counteract the power of slayers." The man mumbled out in a daze. "The previous guild I belonged to was decimated by just a single slayer. I think his name was Dragneel, or something like that..." Geralt snapped his fingers in front of the man's face when he noticed that the man was beginning to lose consciousness. He'd lost too much blood.

"Get back on track. How was this potion supposed to help you do this?" Geralt asked the man as he tied a torn piece of cloth around the dark mage's bleeding wound; it wouldn't save him, but it would give him more time to answer his questions.

"The potion was meant to restructure our magical bodies..." The dark mage started as he hacked up buckets of blood. He must've been caught by one of his crossbow bolts. "...It would allow us to absorb elemental magic. Just like the slayers... but we ran into a problem..." He took a deep breath, in all likelihood it would be his last. "To complete the potion we needed something to act as a base. We needed the magical power of a pure-blooded original slayer, the blood of a dragon... but dragons are in low supply..."

"So you decided to try the blood of a dragon slayer?" Geralt said. The man nodded.

"For the potion to work at full power you would need actual dragon's blood. But for our purposes... a slayer's blood would work fine. Granted, a slayer's blood would only allow each of us to absorb just one type of magic; but that would be more than enough..." After that the man's eyes began to sag. "Such a pity... we were so close..." And the man died.

Geralt sighed as he closed the man's eyelids. He hated when things like this happened. There was so much more he wanted to ask. And the worst part was that he had nothing to show for it! Not a single jewel! _I guess I should loot their corpses._ Geralt turned around and began to walk back to the main clearing; however, he stopped when he saw something glint in the cool-sunlight. _This must be the potion he was talking about._ He thought as he lifted the small vial up into the air; he must've dropped it when he was interrogating the dark mage. _I wonder..._ Geralt thought as he popped the vial's cork off and raised it to his nose. Immediately he recoiled back. _Smells absolutely horrid... just like a witchers potion..._

The familiar stench must have peaked his curiosity. As just a few minutes later the White Wolf was busy searching through his satchels and bags for a very special item. It took him a while, but he eventually found it. The faded glass was foggy and covered with dirt, but it's contents remained untouched. It was the blood of Saesenthessis, the dragon-turned sorceress who attacked the summit in Loc Muinne. Geralt didn't know why he kept the blood, in fact he considered selling it. However, now he was happy he didn't. As careful as a surgeon the Buther of Blavakin peeled off the top from the wax-sealed vial. When it was safely off he then poured the dragon's blood into the dark mage's potion. Almost immediately there were affects, the potion began to sizzle and churn; slowly changing colors until it finally transformed into a beautiful shade of gold. _Vesemir would say that I'm being too reckless._ Geralt thought as he raised the vial to his lips. It might have been reckless, but it wasn't deadly. He poured through the dark mage's notes multiple times. None of the major ingredients would be toxic to him. _Welp... bottoms up._ And he drank the liquid.

* * *

Geralt rubbed his eyes as he stared into the stars of the night sky. It was the exact same sky that he had looked at when he first arrived in this world. However, he was far from the same. Ever since he drunk that potion a few hours ago everything had changed. Or more accurately, his eating habits had changed. For a start absolutely everything now was edible. It started out small. Rocks, trees, dirt, hell, even the air. But as time went on he found that he could devour even more things. He discovered that he could even eat fire after finding one of the, now destroyed, dark guild's old torches. If it had a hint of magic in it, he could absorb it. And while he didn't gain any amazing abilities from absorbing said elements. His witcher properties had improved exponentially. Geralt found that he was stronger, faster, more capable now than he ever was before. _How strange..._ He thought as he breathed in deeply.

The most jarring change, besides the ability to eat almost anything magical, was the unbelievable enhancement to his senses. He could smell even the slightest variants of scents among the blowing wind. He could hear around him for miles and miles. And most crucially, he could almost feel the presence of living creatures. He had this ability before, fittingly dubbed 'witcher sense', but now it was amplified up a thousand fold. As he trotted closer and closer towards Magnolia this actually became somewhat annoying. He could hear flies buzzing through the city streets on the other end of town; and could smell the stench of the gutter from miles off. _This is going to take some getting used to._ Geralt thought as Roach finally made it to the edge of the cliff overlooking Magnolia. Immediately he noticed the plumes of smoke coming from Twilight Ogre's guildhall. From here the guildhall looked like a desolate war zone, but he didn't hear any battle cries. _Looks like I missed the party._ Geralt thought as he rushed to get to the guildhall. The onlooking citizens and the flashy shop signs became a blur as the White Wolf rocketed past the crowds. He arrived at the guildhall in just under fifteen minutes. _I'll need to thank Robin somehow for that horse._ He thought as he forced open the guildhall doors. The interior was absolutely trashed, injured guild members filled the tables of the hall. Each one wrapped head to toe in bandages. _Seems like nobody died._ He then turned to the back of the guildhall, where master Banaboster was sat. "What in the world happened here? Did one of your mages finally blow the place up?" Geralt asked the man.

"Who dare-" Banaboster started before realizing it was Geralt. "Oh. It's you. Well how did your first job as a Twilight Ogre mage go?" The man said as he blew out some smoke from his nose.

"Turned out to be a wild goose chase. The client even admitted it." Geralt lied as he pulled up a seat next to the distraught guild master. The man just sighed angrily and slammed the mug of alcohol he was drinking down onto the table.

"That's just great! First those barbaric fairies come and attack us in our own guild! Now we're getting fabricated job requests. Today's just not my day..." Banaboster mumbled as he flipped through a sky-high stack of repair bills.

"You couldn't handle some fairies? Just squash them. It's not that hard." Geralt said as he looked over the damaged guildhall. Banaboster just scoffed and tossed the bills aside.

"You sound like you talk from experience. And trust me, I wish I could. Those bastards have been at my throat ever since their prominent guild members suddenly came back from the dead." Banaboster sighed as he placed a hand on his forehead, he could feel a migraine coming on. "And now of all times, when we're just weeks away from the Grand Magic Games..." Geralt didn't know, nor care to know, what he meant by the 'Grand Magic Games', but the people who attacked the guild definitely raised his suspicions.

"These 'fairies' who attacked the guild, any idea where they're from?" Geralt asked Banaboster, who then looked at him like he was an entirely different person.

"Since when did you care about our guild's pride? You walked out of here for that job before you could even introduce yourself." Banaboster said as he glared at Geralt. The witcher then pointed to the stack of bills and turned back to Banaboster.

"Attacks like this lowers the guild's standing, which means less people will come here to post jobs, which means less coin in my pocket." Geralt said as he flipped through the massive stack of bills. Eventually he came to a familiar name... "Fairy Tail?" He mumbled.

"That's the guild that attacked us today. They have this crappy little shack on the edge of town. They're a small guild but they have some very powerful members." Banaboster gritted his teeth as he stared at Fairy Tail's guild symbol. "I've wanted to go and crush them, once in for all. But all of my most prominent wizards and sorceresses have already been defeated." The guild master then pinched the bridge of his nose and stared up at the ceiling. "God... if this continues then we really will be out of business." Banaboster mumbled as Geralt got up from his seat. "And just where do you think you're going? You need to help us rebuild!" He yelled, but Geralt paid him no heed. He had a date with fairies.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **A tiny bit late but its here! I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! This one definitely was a pain to write. It's just one of those set up chapters that takes a while to get a grasp on; but I got it eventually. Geralt is on his way to talk to Fairy Tail. And he got a fancy new Dragon-Slayer esc power up!**

 **For those of you wondering why I added that in is because; to do what I want to do with this story, Geralt needed an extra edge. So I gave him that edge. Plus, I really wanted to do something with that dragon he killed in the witcher 2(Granted he didn't HAVE to kill the dragon, that depends on the player's choices, but I'm rolling with it none the less.)Next chapter should be out during the first week of next month. Or earlier, it depends on where I am with my other stories.**

 **But at the most, the next chapter will come out on the first week of November. Until then peace! And I wish you all a very spooky Halloween!**

 **Please review! It means a lot! And rate as well... but mainly review(I love seeing that number go up :)).**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well this took way longer than expected! Sorry about that! I've been focused on my other story Beacon's Exorcist, and my book. However, at the moment. I'm making this a priority. Sorry for the wait! Trust me, the next chapters will be coming along soon. Anyway, if you are still reading this, let me give you guys my thanks for supporting this small story as it is now! Every reader adds more and more drive for me to continue the story. The more reviews I read, the better the story will get, and the more chapters I'll write! Anyway! I'm going to cut this off here. So let's get to the story!**

 **Disclaimer: All rights for FT and The Witcher go to their respective owners**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Hunting for Flies**

Whenever he finished a job, Geralt was always asked a question. It wasn't anything hard to answer. People just wondered if he enjoyed his work. After all, for a decorated warrior like himself, it would make sense. However, Geralt never said that he enjoyed the fight. Geralt never said that he enjoyed the carnage, the bloodshed, the pain, the tears... No... what kept him going was not joy, but necessity. If he didn't fight, then who would? Heroes? Those didn't exist. Heroes were just figment's of children's imaginations. Nothing worth of note, and nothing worth worrying over. No... what the world needed were professionals, and that was what he was. As Roach sauntered up to Fairy Tail's rundown guild hall, his hooves made imprints in the poor dirt road. "Stay here, I won't take long." Geralt said as he tied Roach to one of the nearby posts. Even from here, he could already hear the guildmembers celebrating.

"You guys really showed those assholes!" One of the male members yelled. Geralt recognized the voice from the previous day. If he was not mistaken, the voice belonged to Natsu Dragneel. Geralt's eyes widened when he recalled the dark guild he decimated yesterday. One of the dying members had mentioned that a slayer named Dragneel had destroyed his previous guild. The boy he was hearing was probably that slayer. After all, there weren't many people he could think of with such a ridiculous last name.

 _So this little guild is home to slayers and other strong mages... great..._ And judging by the racket they were making, all of them were probably drunk. "Oh well..." He sighed as he wrapped his hand around the large wooden entrance. "Drunk or not, they're going to have to pay." While Geralt could care less about Twilight Ogre, having Fairy Tail's attack go unpunished would ruin it's reputation. And that would cost him valuable coin. With a heavy sigh, the White Wolf pushed the door open, and stepped into the guild hall. Unsurprisingly, the architecture and layout was completely different than Twilight Ogre's. For one thing, the room was much smaller. However, unlike Twilight Ogre, the guild seemed to be based on a simple inn-like design. The small bar in the back of the room was stacked with alcohol. And the various tables strewn about, while worn with age, showed the care that went into the place. There was love here, that much was certain. _It's a damn shame that I'm going to have to ruin it._

"Uh... Natsu... you're standing in Erza's cake." One of the blonde mages said. The slayer he overheard was currently sitting in a pile of rubble. In all likelihood, it was probably the result of another bar fight. This place sure did love those. As the slayer's toes wiggled through the rubble, Geralt could smell the faint scent of strawberries wafting off of the boy's body. He must have landed in somebody's dessert. However, that wasn't what surprised him. He had seen far-more idiotic things in bars back home that would put mishaps like that to shame. No, what surprised him was the fact that none of them had noticed him yet.

 _They aren't paying attention because they are celebrating. How idiotic._ As Geralt slowly made his way into the guild hall, he watched as one of the other mages — this one wearing a plate-iron chest plate — pick up the slayer and effortlessly toss him across the room. She must've really liked that cake... As the body flew towards him, he stepped aside. And allowed the slayer to crash right through the front door.

"Natsu!" The blonde mage yelled again. However, she — along with the rest of the guild — stopped when they finally noticed his presence. "H—hello there..." she started as another one of the mages walked up to him. This one had hair as white as snow, and was wearing a simplistic red gown. Even though her looks were breathtaking, Geralt wasn't deceived. He could smell the power lurking beneath the surface. This girl was strong.

"Are you here to try our wine and spirits Sir?" She asked him. The plate she held up in her hand was filled to the brim with mugs full of ale and beer. This girl must have been the guild's bartender. "As much as we'd appreciate your business, we're currently in the middle of a celebration. At the moment, I'll have to ask you to leave—" Geralt didn't even wait for her to finish her sentence. He walked straight past the girl and up to the bar, where an old man was sitting. Judging by his posture and location, this man was almost definitely the guild's master.

"Mirajane! I'm ready for another round! Ah... do we have a new recruit?" The man said as he swung his mug around in the air. The strong scent of alcohol wafting off of him was intoxicating. "Well my boy... _hic_ … don't you worry. I'm sure we can find you a..." The man stopped when he saw his beard. "Wow... you certainly aren't no boy. But no matter! We here at Fairy Tail are always willing to accept newcomers! Or my name isn't Makarov Dreyar!... _hic..._ " The guild master laughed as he downed another shot of whisky. How many was that now? Judging by his breath, far too many. Makarov then took out a small stamp from his pocket and lifted it up into the air. "Now where do you want it?... _hic..._ "

"Sorry old timer..." Geralt said as he lifted up his sleeve. "But I already belong to a guild. I'm from Twilight Ogre." The second Makarov saw the crest the stench of alcohol vanished from his being. Just like magic. His eyes took on an edge like steel, and his posture straightened. The other members were also quick to react, and in a matter of seconds he was surrounded.

"You fools just don't know when to stay down." Erza hissed as she pointed a blade right at his neck. "We already told you that we'd pay back our debts. Now leave, unless you want to end up like your comrades." The venom in her voice was potent, but not threatening. Instead, Geralt turned his attention back to Makarov and lowered his hood. His pale white hair cascading over his shoulders as he did so.

"So I heard you and some of your guild members ransacked Twilight Ogre." Geralt started, his tone steady and eerily calm. When Makarov didn't respond, the White Wolf pulled up a stool, and got comfortable. "I doubt we want this to end in violence Mr. Dreyar. I've just come here to talk." His words slithered out like poisonous snakes, however, they were sincere. After a few more tense moments, the guild master finally relented, and raised his hand in the air.

"Don't attack him... we aren't animals." As Geralt thought, the mages obeyed the man's orders. "Now then, friend, I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into. Waltzing in here after what we did to your guild. You must have quite the pair." Makarov's anger was apparent, however, it did little to phase him. Instead, Geralt just got out a small pen, and handed it to the man. "What's this for?"

"That, Mr. Dreyar, is what you will use to write an official letter of apology to my guild. Including the names and signatures of the mages who helped you, of course." His request was met — unsurprisingly — with a roar of sarcastic laughter. In particular, the slayer and a topless mage were probably the most vocal.

"Why in hell would we want to apologize to your guild?" The topless mage started as he pressed his fists together. Geralt recognized his voice as well. If he heard correctly, this lad was Gray Fullbuster. "Your comrades have been accosting us for years, and after you finally get what's coming to you, you ask for an apology? What makes you think you deserve it?"

"Yeah!" The slayer joined in. "I'd rather kick your ass now, and send you back to your guild as a message." Geralt cracked his neck and leaned back in his seat. This was why he hated dealing with children, they were so immature. Instead, he turned back to Makarov. The man was at least trying to listen.

"Our actions were justified. Your guild master has tried to hurt our family, in my opinion, you got what you deserved." Makarov sighed as he tapped the pen against the bar. Geralt could tell that this man wanted nothing more than to throw him out into the mud. However, at the moment, he had no justification for doing so.

"You say your actions were just..." Geralt said as he stared straight into the man's eyes. Surprisingly, he didn't flinch when he saw his catlike pupils. Then again, he was the master of a magic guild. In his lifetime he had probably seen much stranger. "But how can you be sure of that? As far as I'm concerned, the manner in which you assaulted Twilight Ogre was far worse than any sort of attack its members had placed upon you. Granted, Thibault's assaults were unjust. However, he is being punished as we speak." That was a lie, in fact, the leader of team Twilight Ogre was probably being praised right now for his idiocy. However, when it came to negotiations, lying was the name of the game. "Twilight Ogre has done nothing worthy of a full-on assault. Your attack has led to numerous injuries, and many thousand jewels worth in damages..."

"Not deserving?!" Natsu scoffed. "Your 'friends' constantly came in here and abused my comrades! You and your guild master nearly drained them dry with your payments! In my opinion, we didn't do enough!" The slayer said as he slammed his fists together, he was ready for a fight. In response, Geralt swiveled around and stared at him dead in the eyes. This time, he got a reaction. It was unbelievably faint in the older mages, but Geralt could see a shiver run up their spines. The younger mages jumped.

"So what you are saying is that the actions of one team and one man are worth trashing an entire guild? Don't be so childish. That attack has cost us valuable time to repair, which means less people are going to be able to post jobs. And — in our line of work — that time is crucial. Like it or not, Twilight Ogre is Magnolia's major guild, and with it temporarily out of commission, people will suffer. Did you ever think about that? Did you think about those people when you tore the guild to pieces?" The silence that followed his words was maddening. And so he turned back to Dreyar. "Neither of us want this to get messy, if you agree to write the letter, I'll ensure that Twilight Ogre leaves you be. However, if you don't, then I might end up doing something that we'll both regret."

"Is that a threat?" Makarov said as he glared daggers at him. Geralt shrugged as he got up from his seat. He would let the man interpret his words as he will.

"That is up to you. Mr. Dreyar, just sign the letter, and I promise you that I will put this issue to rest." Geralt said as he made his way to the door, which — thanks to Natsu and Erza — now had a giant hole in it. As the storm raged outside small droplets of rain splattered into the hall. The lightning was fierce, and caused Roach to jump. _I should probably get him back to his stable..._

"Not so fast." Natsu said as he stepped in front of the exit. "If you want us to write an apology then you'll have to earn it." He said as flames began to envelop his fists and forearms. "I've been dying for a chance to pay you bastards back for hurting Macao and Romeo. And I'm not going to let this one slip away." Natsu wasn't the only one who wanted some action, the topless dolt decided to join in as well.

"If you're going to fight him, Flame Brain, you can count me in." As he said this, a gigantic hammer made out of ice appeared in his hands. A duo using fire and ice magic, how poetic... Sadly, Geralt was in no mood to entertain them.

"You do not want this fight." His warning was serious and stern. These kids did not know how to fight. They fought to win, he fought to survive. The difference was like night and day. Sadly, the entire guild insisted.

"Remember, you walked in to our guild." Dreyar said as he leaned back into his seat. The rest of the guild members did the same, and cleared a small area for their duel. This was going to be a problem.

"Don't hurt him too bad." Erza said as she sat down at a nearby table. "He came here peacefully, so try to make sure he can make it back to his guild." These brats were underestimating him, but it made sense. After all, there weren't many in Twilight Ogre that were really strong. But still... if he had to do this, then he had to be sure.

"Do you have proper medical supplies?" Geralt asked Mirajane as Natsu and Gray cracked their knuckles. "Such as stitches, disinfectant, and bandages?" The girl thought for a moment and nodded. She, at least, was polite.

"What? Are you worried about what we'll do to you?" Gray hissed as he raised his hammer in the air. "Don't worry, after we're done pounding you, we'll be sure to heal you up nice and proper. After all, if you're injured, how can you warn your guild?" Man... these kids really hated him. The animosity in their eyes was honestly quite worrisome. Still... it wasn't like he had any other option. Geralt reached down into his belt and pulled out a small dagger, it was made of iron, and was slightly dull due to the extensive use.

"Go get 'em Natsu!" One of the mages in the back yelled. He was a young man with black hair, next to him was another young women with bright green hair. Judging by the rings wrapped around their fingers, they were probably husband and wife. A small girl with similar black hair clambered on top of his shoulders to get a better view of the fight. Which just made things worse. His fights were not meant for the eyes of children.

"Close your eyes." His serious tone and gaze definitely shocked the young girl. However, perhaps due to fear, she did as she was told. He could have used his Axii sign to charm her mind and force her to turn away, but he refused to use that on such a young child. Of course, her parents didn't appreciate him giving their child orders, but it had to be done.

"Let's go Gray!" Natsu yelled as he shot towards him. The ice mage wasn't far behind, and within moments they were within arms reach. It was time to begin. "What?" Natsu mumbled as Geralt wrapped his left arm around his neck. Like a serpent he slithered his arm up the boy's stomach and chest, cutting into his flesh with near-surgical precision. Finally, his arm arrived at the slayer's neck, with the flick of his wrist he split it open. Causing a small splash of blood to come pouring out. Not enough to kill, of course, but enough to stun the boy and cause him to collapse. Mage or not, once someone had lost that much blood and undergone that much trauma unconsciousness was sure to follow.

"Ice make—!" Yet again Geralt didn't give the mages time to activate their spells. He drove his dagger deep into the kid's exposed belly, and moved his blade upwards. Just like the slayer before him, he collapsed down to the ground. These mages definitely controlled powerful magic, magic much more potent than his basic signs, but they were still young. None of them knew how to properly control spacing, how to control your opponent's footwork, or how to take a life. He did, and that was what made people scared of him.

"The blade's been cleaned with fire and doused in lily extract, so the chance of infection is extremely low. If you don't have access to regenerative magic, give them a small dose of this..." Geralt said as he placed a small vial of swallow down onto a nearby table. Nobody responded, they were still in shock over the brutal fight. "And if they can't take the potion, regular stitches and plenty of fresh water should ensure that they heal properly. They're young, after all." As he stepped over the two mages bloodied bodies, Geralt hopped through the hole in the door, and made his way back to Roach. _I'm almost certain that they won't leave it at that. However, now I ensured that Twilight Ogre keeps its reputation._ Geralt sighed as he rubbed his eyes, he needed to get back to the guild. His wallet was light, and he needed a job.

* * *

"You beat Dragneel and Fullbuster?! How?!" One of the mages asked him as Geralt skimmed over the job board. Hopefully, this time he'd actually pick a real job. There were various jobs that suited his talents. In particular, he was curious over a monster infestation in underground Fiore. The pay was good and the job seemed simple. However, the employer worried him.

 _It says the employer is one Toma E. Fiore. The king of Fiore... whatever this is must be important._ He had done similar work in the past, so it shouldn't be that hard to accomplish. Plus, as the job was an official request from the state, he could trust its validity. _This one will do._ He ripped the request off the board and made his way over to Banaboster, who was currently surrounded by mages from the guild.

"You should let me participate Master! I'm one of our best strategists! Those idiotic mages from Sabertooth and Fairy Tail won't know what hit them!" One of the mages said as he pushed the others aside. Apparently, they were all trying to convince Banaboster to let them participate in the Grand Magic Games. Judging by the attention he was receiving, the games must have been quite prestigious. However, he wasn't here to gather a reputation. He was here for coin.

"I'm taking this job." Geralt said as he handed the request to Banaboster. The man was shocked.

"Wait! Geralt! Don't you want to participate in the games?!" He yelled, obviously shocked. Nobody took jobs during this time of year! Now was the time for training and preparing for the games! And Geralt was his ace in the hole! If he let him go off on a job now, then he'd let his chance at victory slip through his fingers. However, Geralt couldn't possibly care less about such petty problems.

"Sorry, but I'm no contestant. You'll have to ask the others." Geralt said as he walked out of the door. He didn't have time for this. Sadly, Banaboster insisted. He ran in front of Geralt and raised up his arms. He wouldn't let him leave without a fight.

"If you're worried about money, then I'll pay you." Banaboster pleaded as Geralt tried to walk around him, the man must have been desperate. "If we win, or at least come close, it would dramatically raise the guild's standing. Which means better jobs, which means you'll get paid more." Geralt stopped when he heard that, higher wages would be nice. However, even if he agreed, he had no idea what the Grand Magic Games even were.

 _Still... it wouldn't hurt to ask._ Geralt thought as he looked up at Banaboster. "If you couldn't tell, I'm a foreigner to this land, I don't even know what the Grand Magic Games are." Geralt swore he heard the guild master let out a sigh of relief. His excuse worked, to a certain extent.

"Well that's understandable..." The man said as he wrapped a hand around his shoulders. "I'll fill you in on the details, but after I do, promise me that you'll reconsider the issue of your participation." Geralt nodded, why would he not? He would gain important information for little to nothing. It was a win-win situation. "Alrighty then..." Banaboster started as he led him to the bar. "Why don't you have a seat over there? I'll be sure to explain everything..."

* * *

 **Meanwhile back at Fairy Tail...** **.**

As soon as the strange man left, the members of Fairy Tail jumped into action. Wendy was quick to start healing Natsu and Gray, and before too long both of the mages were back in tip-top shape. Although, the same couldn't be said about their mental state. "I felt his blade dig into my neck." Natsu mumbled as he scratched at the spot where the man had cut him. For some reason, he still felt blood. Gray wasn't faring much better, and was constantly checking his lower stomach. Just to make sure that the hole the man had put in him had disappeared.

"Damn... that sucked." Gray mumbled as he pulled himself up off of the ground. "I didn't know that he'd actually..." He felt as the blood poured out of his wounds, he felt the pain as the man's knife burrowed into his body. That cold feeling that enveloped his body, he was sure it was death. The injuries he sustained might have looked worse than they were, but the fact remained that the man could have easily dug deeper.

"Gray~" Juvia yelled as she coddled his head in her arms. "Are you hurt my darling?" She asked him, which was a stupid question. Of course he was hurt! That madman slit his throat! However, thanks to Wendy's healing abilities, his wounds were almost completely closed.

"I'm fine..." he mumbled as he dusted himself off. Defeat never sat well with him. And being bested by a stranger, of all things, really stung. "Well... what do we do now?" They could always attack Twilight Ogre again, but that would just be retreading old ground.

"Well... he did warn you." Lucy said as she helped carry Natsu over to the table. He needed something to drink. The dragon slayer looked absolutely shocked. His eyes were widened, his pupils dilated, and he seemed out of breath.

"Natsu... are you okay?" Happy asked him as he flew down from the ceiling. He and the other exceeds were all hanging out in the rafters during the fight. Drunken bouts were so common here that they just ignored it. Hell, besides Carla, none of them even knew that strange man came in. However, the second they smelled the blood, they came shooting back down. Natsu smiled and nodded his head.

"I'm fine..." he said as he wiped some of the sweat from his brow. After that, he turned to Erza and stared at the blade that was hanging by her hip. "Why haven't you done that yet?" Natsu said as he closed and opened his fist. "Cut people, I mean." Erza's swords always used to look so sharp to him, but now that he was actually cut by one, Titania's blades couldn't possibly look duller.

"I don't fight to kill. It's simple as that." Erza said as she placed her blade back into her pocket dimension, it was obvious that its presence was causing Natsu some emotional stress. And he wasn't the only one. Gray hid it well, but Erza noticed him glancing at her blade. Now that they knew what it could do, it unnerved them. Although... she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a bit shocked as well. In her lifetime she had yet to strike down a human opponent. She saw killing as something to be despised, and utterly unnecessary. In fact, she had little to no experience in lethal swordsmanship. Most — if not all — of her training was focused on non-lethal skills and martial arts. She had never voluntarily taken another human's life. Nor did she want to. "Still..." Erza mumbled as she stared out of the hole in the wall. Magic-wise, that man didn't feel anything special. However, he managed to beat Gray and Natsu. The brutal way he fought sent shivers down her spine, and almost made her vomit.

"Do you know that man Macao? He said he was part of Twilight Ogre." Makarov said as he poured himself another glass of hard whisky. God knows he'd need it. The mage shook his head and shrugged. Until today, he hadn't even seen the man.

"He's a newcomer, that's for sure. If he wasn't then we would have seen him." Macao sighed as he looked over to his son. The boy was currently trying to cheer Natsu and Gray up with a little fire magic. _I really wish he didn't see that..._ At the very least, the man had the decency to warn Asuna. If he didn't then who knows what would have happened? Alzack and Bisca would of had a field day, that's for sure. "Ah crap... I can already see the questions rolling in. I may need your help with this one, Master." Makarov smiled. He was always willing to help a friend, and a fellow father, in need.

"If Romeo gets curious I'll be sure to set him straight. But I don't think that will be a problem, after all, he's a good kid." Macao smiled, Dreyar was right. Romeo had a heart of gold, although, that didn't mean it was indestructible. And it was his duty as his father to protect him! Makarov laughed when he saw the man's emotional reaction. If only everyone in the world could be so kind.

"How're you feeling?" Romeo asked Natsu as he watched the slayer devour some freshly made flames. "You and Gray got beat pretty bad back there, are you sure you'll be alright for the games?" Natsu looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Of course we will be! All it will take is some training, and we'll be back to tip-top shape. Although, I can't say the same about Gray. He's a little slow." The slight jab at the ice mage worked wonders, and within seconds the two were at each others throats.

"You want to say that again?" Gray said as he cracked his knuckles. "The reason we lost is because you're the one who's slow." And just like that, the two were back in the ring. Wendy sighed, she had just healed them after all. Hopefully, they wouldn't injure themselves too badly.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **So yeah... sorry about the long-ass wait. I've been kind of focused on my other stories, as my most popular one is currently in the process of being transformed into a manga. Plus, I've been writing a book, and just haven't had the time to get a chapter out for this story. But hey, that's all in the past and I'm back now! You'll learn soon enough that I don't like to keep dead stories. If I start something, then I'll finish it. And I promise you guys that I'll finish this story.**

 **Anyway, even though it's been a while. I'm absolutely shocked by the reception this thing has gotten so far! Only ten-thousand words at this little story already has fifty followers and eleven reviews! It's honestly quite shocking, and a bit encouraging. Please, if you are able, drop a review. They really help with things like feedback and with the writing process. (After all, if you guys don't vocalize what you like and don't like, then I'll never be able to improve.)**

 **I'm going to close this little chapter up here. Please, rate and review, and I'll see you guys on the next chapter of The Wolven Maw. (This time I promise it won't take a year for the next chapter. I'm already editing chapter four, and it should be out within the coming weeks.)**

 **Chapter Four: Killing Monsters**


	4. Chapter 4

**!IMPORTANT!**

 **Holy shit I bet none of you expected this now did ya?! Anyway, let me get straight to the point. Why haven't I been updating this story? It isn't because I'm not online, because I've been updating my most popular story quite frequently, it's because of something else. In case you haven't read my other stories, I am writing a book and this has taken up a ton of time. But know that I haven't abandoned this story. To prove it to you, here's a thick 15k chapter! I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Killing Monsters**

Geralt rubbed his eyes as he heard the wind roar outside his window. Currently, he was living in a small one person apartment in Northern Magnolia. After Banaboster filled him in on the specifics of the Grand Magic Games, Twilight Ogre's guild master offered him this room at a steep discount. _A tournament for mages..._ The thought was enticing. A nonstop battle between the country's strongest guilds to determine who deserved the title of Fiore's best guild. For the past few years, the title had been held by a group of mages called Sabertooth. And before them, it belonged to Fairy Tail. _If Ciri were here, she'd jump at the_ offer. Geralt thought with a smile. However, he wasn't Ciri. Even though Banaboster offered him a small fortune for his guaranteed participation, he just couldn't accept it. _I wasn't given these powers so that I could lord over others..._ Witchers were created for one thing, and one thing only, killing monsters. The Butcher of Blaviken sighed as he looked over his next job request. The job was simple: eliminate a monster infestation in underground Crocus, Fiore's capital city. _They're probably scrambling to clean everything up before people start pouring in._ If there was one thing monsters loved, it was a crowd. "I'll have to leave early tomorrow morning if I want to make it on time." Geralt mumbled as he leaned out of the apartment's only openable window. Even with his heightened senses, Magnolia at night was soothingly silent. For the first time in his long life, he would be able to sleep in a city without having to deal with the noise.

"Natsu! You're snoring too loudly!" Geralt sighed, perhaps he spoke too soon. Amongst all of this pleasant silence, there was one group of people who were trying their damnedest to shatter it. Unsurprisingly, that group of delinquents were the members of Fairy Tail. Even after he beat two of their most prominent members black and blue, they still decided to party well into the early hours.

"My age must finally be getting to me." He smirked. "I'm starting to get annoyed by the sound of merrymaking." If Yennefer was with him, the witch wouldn't let him hear the end of it. _I wonder what they're doing right now..._ He thought as he stared out into the ocean. Even if he didn't have his enhanced witcher senses, he could still smell the pungent stench of the sea. The aroma tasted sour on his tongue, but also a little sweet. _This is a healthy port town, that's for_ _sure._ There weren't many peaceful places like this back in his world. Thanks to the church's raids, what few peaceful vestiges there were had been burned to the ground. However, that didn't mean Magnolia was perfect.

"Hey Thibault, what are we going to do now?" Geralt sighed, team Twilight Ogre was right on schedule. Apparently, the team of mages were regulars at a bar near his apartment. All of them were red in the face, and had obviously spent the night drinking away their sorrows.

"Hell... _hic_ …" the leader, Thibault, cursed as he smashed his fist into the pavement. "How could we let those fairies beat us?! The Grand Magic Games are just a month away! And to make matters worse, we lost face to a new recruit!" He was probably talking about him. "Who was that man anyway? You know, the old fart who went into Fairy Tail and clipped some of their wings."

"I think his name was Geralt, or something like that... _hic_ …." One of Thibault's lackeys burped-out in his drunken stupor. At that point, the majority of what came out of their mouths was slurred and unrecognizable.

"Those mages must've drank that bar dry." He saw things like this happen all the time when he was traveling through Velen and the Skellige Isles. Sad men who tried to drink away their problems. In some small way, he pitied the poor bastards. Once he was done taking-in the sights, Geralt sighed and stretched his legs. Currently, he was wearing a pair of simple grey jeans. The extra pockets that were sewn into the sides were a pleasant little addition, as was the modern wallet. _I guess I won't be carrying my money around in a bag anymore._ He welcomed the extra space, but for some reason, he just knew that he'd grow to miss that old worn piece of cloth. "I guess that's the price of convenience.…" As he flopped down onto his bed, the Butcher of Blaviken yawned and stared out of his window. "The beds here feel like they're meant for royalty." Each and every one of them were stuffed with either high-quality foam or feathers. _I wonder what Yennefer would give to sleep on one of these right now._ If everything was on-schedule, the sorceress should've arrived at the prearranged safehouse by now. Yet again, the White Wolf groaned and stared at the ceiling. The intricate carvings that were engraved into the wood told stories that he had never heard of. Tales of unknown gods and goddesses, and intricate myths and legends that would've made Dandelion drool.

Eventually, as the night grew older, the White Wolf felt his eyelids start to get heavy. Without thinking he closed his eyes and allowed his body to drift off to dreamland. However, fate had other plans that night. Right when he was about to lose consciousness, something flew into the room through his window. With speed that would impress the quickest of vipers, the Butcher of Blaviken shot out of his bed a grabbed his crossbow. Moments later the device was loaded with poison-tipped bolts, and was ready for battle. He arched his arm towards the intruder and prepared to take the shot; however, when his night vision finally kicked in, he stopped himself. "Owww~" The intruder squeaked as it slowly crawled out of the darkness. For a second, Geralt thought he was seeing things. The intruder was nothing more than a simple cat! Granted, it definitely wasn't a normal feline. For one thing its fur was blue, and if that wasn't enough, the creature had a pair of small wings attached to its back. "Oh no..." it mumbled as it lightly patted its sore forehead. "I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere..." Geralt sighed as he watched the creature accidentally walk across some of the broken glass. Some of the smaller shards dug into the cat's fur, causing its feet to twinkle like silver in the moonlight. "Oh crap! Did I smash into somebody's house?!"

"Yeah..." Geralt sighed, this world was just full of surprises. "You might want to remove that glass from your fur, unless you enjoy getting cut." Finally, after what seemed like ages, the feline noticed him.

"I'm sorry!" The cat apologized as Geralt stepped into the light. However, the second he did, the cat recoiled back and flew up into the rafters. "You-you-you're that guy who gutted Natus and Gray!" The White Wolf raised an eyebrow when he heard that, he didn't recall this cat being there. In his confusion, Geralt took in a deep breath and smelled the surroundings. The blue cat had an obviously foreign, and oddly sweet, stench to it. A stench that he remembered.

"You were there during the fight?" He asked the cat, who was now absolutely terrified. Instead of answering him, the blue feline just shakily nodded its head as it tip-toed deeper into the shadows. "These eyes aren't just for show. I can still see you." Somehow, that just made the poor creature even more scared. _Well... I guess I can't blame it for being terrified._ If this cat was affiliated with Fairy Tail, of course it would be wary of him. So instead, the White Wolf tried something different. "You're a cat, right?" Thankfully, even though the feline was too terrified to speak, it could still nod its head. Once it did, Geralt sighed and took something out of his apartment's fridge. "Then I assume you like fish?" Before the creature had the chance to answer him, Geralt gutted the large trout with a kitchen knife and placed the fresh carcass on a glass plate.

"What are you doing?" The cat finally spoke as Geralt placed the plate down in front of it. The feline didn't even last a minute before its mouth started to water. As Geralt started to pick up the pieces of shattered glass, the feline unconsciously reached for the fish. However, right before it could take a bite, the creature stopped itself.

"No Happy! Remember what Mira said! You can't accept fish from strangers! No matter how tasty it looks..." the feline mumbled as it stared longingly at the trout's supple flesh. Geralt sighed and scratched his beard, the little furball finally said something useful.

"So your name's Happy?" He asked the cat. "You can go ahead and eat that trout, it was already in there when I moved in, so I won't miss it." For a split second the cat's eyes lit up like diamonds. What followed soon after was a pure testament to the strength of a feline's stomach. The strange creature named Happy devoured the carcass in seconds, it even drank the blood on the plate! _Wow..._ Geralt thought as he picked the plate up off of the floor. _It licked it clean..._

"Thank you for the meal!" The cat said as it adorably raised its right paw in the air. However, like a normal peasant who had just chugged a bottle of swallow, its upbeat tone quickly changed. "Wait a minute!" It screeched as it jumped into the air and flew up towards the ceiling, its tiny claws ready for battle. "Come at me Sir! I, Happy, will ensure that you suffer for what you've done to Fairy Tail!" The second that it got within reach, Geralt sighed and plucked the creature out of the air.

"What in the world are you doing?" The damn thing was acting like a lunatic. "Before you go and attack me, I'd appreciate it if you give me a reason why you crashed through my window." When he said that, the feline bent over and scratched at its eyes. In all honesty, it looked a little guilty, and scared as well.

"I'm sorry, I was just flying back home when I remembered that Twilight Ogre is Magnolia's guild now." Geralt sighed, so that's what it was. If this little scamp was from Fairy Tail then that would make sense. As he placed the winged feline back onto the wooden floor, the Butcher of Blaviken walked over and tried his best to board-up the hattered window. As he did this, he felt little droplets of rain start to pour in through the cracks.

 _This is going to be a long night..._ He thought as plugged any remaining gaps with beeswax and waterproof oils. "How're things going at your guild?" For a second, Happy thought he was hearing things.

"Why do you care? You're the one who just waltzed in to our guild and hurt my comrades. All of you Twilight Ogre members are the same." The cat mumbled as it scratched behind one of its ears. Yet again, Geralt sighed as he returned his swords and crossbow to their proper place at his bedside.

"Don't forget, your friends were the ones who challenged me. I just came in there wanting an official apology from your guild master. I never planned on harming your friends, and even though I did, I gave you more than enough medicine to heal their wounds." Geralt pinched the bridge of his nose when he heard the feline scoff.

"Hmph!" It said as it crossed his arms. "Like we needed your medicine, our guild has access to two of the best healers in all of Fiore!" Now that caught him off guard. When he went there, he didn't notice anyone who looked like they could use healing magic.

"What're the names of these two mysterious healers?" Geralt asked the feline as he used Igni to light a nearby candle. _Might as well do something productive._ He thought as he brought a small bundle of sticks and feathers to the apartment's sole workbench.

"Hah! Their names are Wendy Marvell and Grandeeney! And they're two of the most powerful healing-magic users this side of Magnolia!" The feline yelled, its voice absolutely brimming with pride. "I know for a fact that your guild doesn't have anyone like them! They're..." The cat stopped. "Hey..." it asked him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making crossbow bolts." He said as he poured a drizzle of liquid wolfsbane onto the bolts silver tips. The second the mixture touched the metal, small puffs of purple smoke jumped off of the bolt.

" _Cough!_ I've never seen anyone make them using stuff like that!" The creature hacked as it scrambled to cover its nose with something. For a second, Geralt felt a tinge of pity shoot through his body. It took him years before he got used to the smell. For a creature like Happy, who was blessed with an animals nose, enduring the putrid stench must've been absolute torture. Normally he'd open a window to help vent the fumes. However, for obvious reasons, that wasn't an option. "Well..." the feline mumbled as it waddled over and plopped itself into one of the apartment's cushioned seats. Its eyes glued to the broken window.

"I'm not going to charge your guild for this little accident, so don't worry about that." The White Wolf said as he started to fletch his bolts. It was painfully obvious that Fairy Tail wasn't in the greatest of positions money-wise. So even if he did want some form of payment, they wouldn't be able to provide it. He might've been a witcher, but that didn't mean he was heartless.

"Really?!" For a second, Geralt thought he was talking to a different person. Once he had taken the monetary weight off of the feline's shoulders, its mood immediately perked up. "Wait... what's the catch? You're from Twilight Ogre, and they don't let anything go for free..." The cat had instincts, Geralt would give it that.

"Don't worry, I'm not like my guildmates. I only use Twilight Ogre as a tool and nothing more." Yet again, the feline responded with a raised eyebrow. Maybe it was due to the guild it belonged to, but it seemed as if his witcher philosophy didn't resonate with the winged feline. Although, he couldn't say that surprised him. Even though Fairy Tail was poor, he could tell from his short time there that it was a warm, and welcoming, place. In a way, it was the polar opposite of Twilight Ogre. _If Yennefer, Trish, or Ciri were here they probably would've chosen Fairy Tail over Twilight Ogre._ But he wasn't any of those people. Right now what he needed was money, not friendship. _But still..._ he thought as he glanced back at the feline. The furball was currently straightening up its things and preparing to leave. As lightning started to flash outside, he noticed a small shiver run down the creature's spine. _Dammit... I'm getting too soft._ Geralt sighed as he grabbed his cloak and scabbard.

"What are you doing?" The cat mumbled as it hovered in the air, its little green backpack hanging off of its side like an injured monkey. Instead of answering him, Geralt just held open the front door and motioned for the cat to follow.

"Here, take this and rub it on your fur." He mumbled as he tossed the creature a small vial of oil. "It's a mixture of salamander, lye, and special oils. It will ensure that you stay warm and dry on our way back." As the feline held the warm vial, its eyes lit up like the sun.

"Thank you so much!" It started, however, its enthusiasm quickly dissipated after it heard the rest of Geralt's sentence. "Wait... what do you mean by 'our' way back?"

"Exactly what is sounds like." Like it or not, a kind gesture like this would've been necessary in the future. Especially if he wanted to bridge the gap between the two guilds. After all, if he didn't do it, then who would? "At this time of night, any town is dangerous, especially for a tiny thing like you."

"Hey! If you're calling me weak then you better take that back! I'm a fully fledged Fairy Tail wizard!" The feline yelled as it thrusted its guild mark into the light.

"Yeah, yeah..." this thing was going to be the death of him. After the winged cat flew out of his apartment, Geralt sighed, locked the door, and followed after. _The stables aren't open at this time of night. So that means Roach isn't an option..._ In that case, they would just have to leg it. "Shit..." Geralt cursed as he walked out of the lobby's front door. The rain was coming down in sheets now, and didn't show any signs of stopping. "Does it normally rain this much?" Granted, Magnolia was a port town, but this was far worse than a regular tropical storm. The rain pattern was unnatural, the winds too violent, and the drops too cold.

"The weather has taken a turn for the worse." The cat said as it flew happily around in the sky. The oil he gave it must've worked. As the pair trudged through the muddy streets, a gust of wind blew through the square, sending an odd scent with it. The stench reminded him of forest dew and old leaves, with just a hint of ash. It was a deep, hearty, scent that could shrivel the nostrils and caused his eyes to water.

 _This smells like..._ Geralt thought as he took in a deep breath of the stench. _Fire!_ He'd recognize that smell anywhere! Could one of the lightning bolts have struck a house?! _No... that's not it._ The source of the stench was far off, on the outskirts of Magnolia.

"Is something wrong?" The cat asked him as he ran off towards the source of the smoke. "Hey! What's up?" It cried out as Geralt moved his hand to the hilt of his silver sword.

 _The only creatures who can create flames like these_ are...! He thought as he finally arrived at the source. It was a small hut that was absolutely covered in flames. The hilltop it rested upon overlooked the entirety of Magnolia, and was constantly spewing out a plume of putrid gas.

"Oh no!" The cat cried as it shot past him towards the hut. "My house!" Geralt raised an eyebrow when he heard that, why in the world would a cat have a house? Did it share it with someone else?

 _I'm getting sidetracked..._ Geralt thought as he picked a handful of debris off of the ground. His medallion was starting to shake now, which meant something was nearby. The air now had a hint of blood wafting on the breeze, it smelt fresh, and was obviously spilled near here. However, it wasn't human blood. Several feathers were strewn across the ground, many of them torn and greatly damaged. "Happy... that was your name, right?" He asked the cat as he drew his silver sword. "Do me a favor and go get your friends, I've got a feeling that they may want to know what's happened here."

"Uh..." the feline cried with tears in its eyes. "O-okay..." after an adorable little salute, the winged cat nodded and rocketed off into the horizon. Once he was an acceptable distance away, Geralt got out a small rubbing stone and pressed it against his sword. As the rune engraved in the rock glowed red, a faint violet aura covered his blade.

 _It's definitely a different breed, but the species is similar._ Geralt thought as he cast Quen and headed into the blaze. Whatever did this was nearby, and it was hungry. Once he made it inside, the Butcher of Blaviken unhooked a small grenade from his belt and lit it. "Come on out you bastard." He said as he tossed the bomb into the fiery ash. For a brief moment, the flames cleared, allowing the witcher to stare straight into the beast's red, serpent-like, eyes. _This is going to be a long one..._ he thought as he pointed the tip of his sword towards the monster. And with that, Geralt bent down, and leapt into the fray.

* * *

The Fairy Tail guild hall was as silent as a morgue. A somber atmosphere hung over the young mages heads like a heavy fog. Enveloping everyone, including Makarov, in an inescapable aura of despair. "Ah hell I can't take it anymore!" The old guild master cried as he turned and pointed at Natsu. "You and Gray lost fair and square! Now hurry up and sign the damn letter!" They had been at this for hours. Everyone had already signed the apology except for the two men of the hour. Makarov sighed, the two of them were like mules when it came to stubbornness.

"There's no way I'm going to kneel down to Twilight Ogre, right Gray?" Natsu asked the topless mage, who happily agreed with him. Both of them had bags under their eyes, and it was obvious they both had a little too much to drink.

"As much as I hate to admit it Master, I think they're right." Erza said, which caused the two aforementioned mages to nearly fall out of their seats. "No matter how you look at it, Twilight Ogre were the ones who assaulted us first. In terms of common courtesy, our actions make sense. Plus, guild fights like that one aren't unusual." Makarov groaned as he took a sip from his mug, at this rate, these kids would learn nothing. "

"Listen... I don't like it as much as you do, but we still have to deliver this letter with everyone's name on it. We made a deal, after all." A mage's word was their code. "Plus, this apology won't really harm us. Once the Grand Magic Games come around and we retake our spot, this will all just be dust in the wind." Makarov mumbled as he pressed the long-dried pen against the paper.

"Even if that is the case, I still think we should go about this differently. Oh! I know! Why don't we ask that man for a rematch?" Natsu said as he pounded his fists together. The shock from their earlier match had all but vanished. Some would call that stupidity, but for Natsu, that was just part of his charm.

"Yeah... sorry, but I'm going to pass." Gray mumbled as he scratched his chin. "I've been gouged enough for one day, thank you very much." Much to Gray's surprise, Natsu didn't snap at him after he said that.

"I understand, after all, he did put us through the wringer!" The mage laughed. Makarov frowned, Natsu was taking this whole thing too lightly. Even though the boy's utter defeat did disturb him a bit, it wasn't enough to force him to learn. Even though they were all powerful mages, they were all still just flesh and blood. One false move and... Makarov sighed and shook his head. The drink was starting to get to him.

"Try not to act so carefree after you were nearly killed, it may give people the wrong idea." The tired guild master said as he let out a much-needed yawn. Many of their members had already fallen off to dreamland. Carla and Wendy were currently sleeping in a makeshift bed that Reedus made, while Lucy was currently perched in one of the comfy armchairs. Thankfully, Mirajane had a few spare blankets on hand, so nobody was sleeping in the cold. However, there were a few that were still as lively as an annoying fly.

"You just gotta train harder Natsu!" Romeo yelled as he twirled some purple fire around in the air. "If you do that then nobody would be able to stand up to us!" Even though he was loud, Romeo did have a point. There was nothing like a day of training to put the spring back in these youngsters steps.

"Heh, sure Romeo. But you're going to have to wait until me and Happy get some sleep first." Makarov scoffed, at least the boy wasn't completely clueless.

"Really?! Thanks Natsu! You're the best! What about you Gajeel? Would you like to come train with us tomorrow?" Romeo asked the iron dragon slayer. Amazingly, the man didn't look tired in the least.

 _It sure is nice to be young..._ Makarov thought as he leaned back against the bar. Sometimes life just wasn't fair.

"I don't have any plans tomorrow. Hey Squirt! Do you want to join in?" Gajeel asked Levy, who was already fast asleep.

"Oops! Be careful tiger, you don't want to wake the sleeping princess!" Mirajane joked as she tossed a blanket over the resting mage. "Does anybody else need one?" She whispered, Natsu yawned and looked around the room. For the most part, everyone was accounted for. Everyone except...

"Oh crap! Happy!" The dragonslayer yelped as he shot out of his chair, jostling everyone from their slumber. "He went to go buy some medicine after our fight! I completely forgot!" As if on que, a thunderous bolt of lighting shot down into the yard outside. Sparking everyone into action.

"Do you know where he was last?" Panther Lily asked the panicking mage as he got out a small map of Magnolia. When Natsu shook his head, the exceed sighed and rolled up the map. "Then we'll just have to go look for him." Without asking any questions Natsu nodded his head and made his way to the front door. However, before his hand could even touch the metal handle. The door shot open.

"Natsu!" The one responsible cried out. To everyone's relief, it was none other than Happy. However, that relief quickly turned into dread when they saw the panic staining the blue exceed's eyes.

"Happy! Hey, uh, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Instead of answering him, the exceed just grabbed Natsu's shoulders and hoisted him up into the air.

"It's our house Natsu! It's on fire!" Happy said, which caused everyone in the room to gasp.

"What?! On fire?! How?!" The dragonslayer yelled as Lucy, Erza, Wendy, and several other members from the guild, hurried after them.

"I don't know! I was just flying back here when it happened!" Happy said as they finally neared the pair's house. Plumes of black smoke were billowing up into the air, and a putrid stench lingered about every corner. However, before anyone could find out what happened, a monstrous shriek reverberated throughout the forest.

"Duck!" A voice called out as a gigantic creature shot out of the forest. Nobody could really tell what it was thanks to the poor light, but its size was awe-inspiring. Before anyone could even have the chance to breath, the monster turned around and tore a huge rock out of the path. But before it had a chance to throw it, a single crossbow bolt pierced its left eye, causing the stone the monster was carrying to come crashing down to the ground.

"M-my house…." Natsu whimpered when he finally saw the poor state of his humble abode. The building was almost entirely reduced to ashes, and that wasn't all. Thanks to the horrific stench which clung to every corner, the land was now practically uninhabitable. "It took so long to build..." Sadly, Natsu had no time to whimper. As the second the dragonslayer came into view, the monstrous creature tore a tree out of the ground and tossed it at the mage.

"Natsu look out!" Gajeel yelled as a shadowy figure rushed to the young mage's side.

"Stupid kids.…" The figure said as it pushed the mage out of the way. "Things like this are meant for professionals." He said as he loaded another crossbow bolt, it was around then that Natsu, and the rest of the mages, finally recognized the strangers voice.

"C-crap! Your that weirdo from Twilight Ogre!" Natsu cried out as he jumped back into one of the trees. Geralt chose to ignore that comment, and instead tried his best to focus on the task at hand.

 _Ah hell... I didn't think that cat would bring the whole guild. This is going to be a problem._ The White Wolf thought as he stared down his adversary. It was a gigantic, mutated, chort-like creature with venomous bile constantly draining out of its mouth. All of this was very strange. However, that wasn't what worried the witcher. What worried him was the various shards of black metal that were stuck in the creature's teeth. They were jagged, bent, and rusted. However, the work was still easily recognizable. "So the Wild Hunt's paid this place a visit as well..." Why wasn't he surprised? The armor that was lodged in the mutant's teeth obviously belonged to a Wild Hunt foot soldier. "Hey kid..." Geralt started as he turned to Romeo. "Can you do me a favor and make sure that nobody comes near this thing? The gas it exhales is extremely toxic to humans." Without even waiting for conformation, Geralt unhooked some potions from his belt, and charged at the monster. He didn't know what was happening, or why, but he was going to find out. _Come on you big oaf!_

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **So yeah, this chapter was kind of a more plot-heavy one. There wasn't much action in this chapter, and that was on-purpose, trust me. Don't worry though, the next chapter will have plenty of action, I promise. And speaking of the next chapter, it won't take six months to come out! (Huzzah!) I've managed to clear a bit of my schedule here at Uni, so I should have more than enough time to get another chapter out!**

 **Anyway, that's pretty much it for me. If you guys would be so kind as to leave this poor soul a review, and maybe a rating, I'd appreciate it. But until then, have a good night! (Or day) And I'll see you guys on the next chapter of The Wolven Maw!**

 **Chapter Five: Hymns of Acceptance**


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